Staff MemberModerator

I don't have any figures for the air war losses, but I can tell you this....
I was there ! I was on board USS ESSEX (CVS-9). We left Norfolk, Va
with Helo's on deck. About fifty miles out the helo's flew ashore and jets
landed on board. Were immediated struck below and painted all white
with no markings. They stayed on board because we got the word that
JFK had cancelled all air support. One of out tin cans did pick up the crew
of a B-26 that Castro's boys had shot down. A couple were injured real
bad and needed our medical services. We had two CIA types on board
who used our communications gear to communicate with "their people"
on the beach. I remember one of them saying, "The jig's up" when we
heard the "Rio" (a LST) had been sunk by Castro's forces. The "Rio"
had tons of arms, ammunition, and other equipment on board. On the
way back towards Norfolk the aircraft were repainted again, and flown
off about 50 miles off shore. We got our helo's back and headed for
Quonset Point, RI like nothing had happened.

Ccheese, you were there!!... my favorite topic is WWII, but after my visit to Cuba's Museo del Aire (Air Museum) and Museo de la Revolución (Revolution Museum), I felt interest in this issue and I've read a lot about this. This is the battle that could have change the destiny of Cuba, but well... that was 46 years ago. I knew they had T-33 and A-26, but I'm not sure if they had Mig-15.